3rd year defenseman Ted Billingsley(4) spent his first two campaigns with Brampton Beast scoring new career highs for goals (6), assists (21), points (27), shots on net (88) in 60 ECHL games through last season.
The 6’2″ 205 lbs. blue liner has decided to take his craft overseas joining Nottingham Panthers of the EIHL for 2017/2018.
Originally an Arizona Coyotes‘ 7th round draft pick in 2008 (#189 overall), he was never signed after playing 5 years of the OHL with Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors and an overage year for Niagara IceDogs.
Left unsigned, he initially turned pro in 2011/2012 with Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees of the Central Hockey League but after only 15 games decided to head off to Carleton University for 3.5 seasons.
The hard-hitting, tough to play against d-man will likely take his game to another level in England.
9th year veteran defenseman Steven Tarasuk(10) heads back over to Europe signing a 1-year deal with Saale Bulls Halle of DEL3 after putting up a career tied 7 goals and best 31 assists for 38 points with 139 shots on net in 67 games last season with Alaska Aces.
He’s skated with no less than 9 different ECHL teams appearing in 303 games and also appeared in the AHL and Central Hockey League.
The 27-year old has also played hockey in Poland and Italy and when he heads to Germany this season, it will be his 2nd visit.
He should do exceedingly well in this league, as he’s already played in DEL2 and done well.
Undrafted 3rd year left wing Kyle Just(29) finished last season with 6 DEL2 games for Lausitzer Füchse scoring 2 goals and 2 assists, then adding another three helpers in 3 playoff games.
Those totals were very much good enough for them to offer him a one-year deal to stay with the tier two German team for 2017/2018.
He initially left a decent campaign with Hungary’s top hockey Erste Liga, where he was skating with Fehérvári Titánok scoring more than a point-per-game (17-25-42 in 39).
This follow a tremendous rookie season for the 5’11” 190 lbs. forward with Tilburg Trappers.
His 18 point playoff performance would help them with the 2016 DEL3 Championship.
He was a very decent scorer through four years at Mercyhurst University.
With another strong showing, the 26-year old could continue to find himself playing at a higher level overseas.
4th year defenseman Gabriel Verpaelst(27) comes off a bit of an uneven season to sign an AHL contract with San Antonio Rampage for 2017/2018.
He played 8 games on a pto with Stockton Heat as a sophomore skater.
He played most of last campaign with his team of two years, Norfolk Admirals before a late trade to Utah Grizzlies, but was unable to come close to his career high 28 assists of 2015/2016 (12), although he did up his goal production by one to 7.
Maybe a bit unfortunately too, he added one fight to his totals and now has a new best 16 and 186 penalty minutes in 71 ECHL games.
He was a -20 rating that will need to be cleaned up some for him to stick in the higher league or be reassigned to affiliate Colorado Eagles but was on a team that struggled, which didn’t help that stat much.
We wish the soon-to-be 24-year old well in his new endeavor.
Undrafted 2nd year left wing Tommy Thompson(14) will take his game to the other coast, getting traded then signing a one-year deal with Idaho Steelheads for 2017/2018.
He had a successful rookie season under contract with Greenville Swamp Rabbits scoring 16 goals, 17 assists with a -4 rating and an impressive 111 shots on net through 58 ECHL games.
The scrappy style 6′ 190 lbs. forward also received a three AHL game loan to Hartford Wolf Pack with no points and a -2.
He wasn’t really much of a scorer through four years at St. Lawrence University but did put up a decent 20+ points as a junior and an assistant captain senior.
The soon-to-be 27-year old will likely have a better sophomore campaign and could eye a better deal overseas if that happens.
15th year veteran center Kris Newbury(17) tries something new, changing shores for the first time in his pro career, leaving in favor of Fischtown Pinguins of DEL.
He last signed a tryout agreement ECHL contract with Reading Royals, played one game and was loaned up to Bakersfield Condors on a pto for 14 games (3-2-5), returned but barely got back to Pennsylvania before he was scooped up by Charlotte Checkers, where he finished up 2016/2017 with 38 games scoring 8 goals and 7 assists with a +2 rating.
Crazy to think he played 6 games with Pensacola Ice Pilots in the lower league for 6 games (2-4) as a sophomore skater in 2004/2005.
His last appearances in the NHL came at the beginning of the 2013/2014 season, when he found himself on Philadelphia Flyers‘ opening night roster.
He stayed for 4 games recording one assist in very sparing minutes but was returned to Adirondack Phantoms for the remainder of the calendar.
His 699 AHL games is a crazy stat but not even that nuts compared to some other minor league stalwarts.
He also has 76 games in the show with 4 goals, 6 assists and 7 fights.
At 35-years old he may be getting a bit long in the beard but this is a guy that doesn’t know how to stop.
We could easily see him transition into coaching if he ever decides to hang up the skates.
14th year center Pascal Pelletier(23) heads back to Switzerland signing with lower league NLB team GC Küsnacht Lions for 2017/2018.
He previously spent three seasons from 2010-2013 with SCL Tigers of the NLA before returning to North America for a year under contract with Vancouver Canucks.
After a very successful, prolific scoring season with affiliate Utica Comets, he once again stretched out agreeing to a year with Medvescak Zagreb of the KHL.
He would stay in Russia for 2015/2016 splitting time between Admiral Vladivostok and Jokerit but his point totals trailed off significantly.
Once again, he would return to the U.S. inking a pto to rejoin the Comets and played out the calendar in upper state New York.
Although he only appeared in 52 AHL games, he was able to somewhat reignite connecting with the stat sheet (10-18-28 with a +2 rating).
The now 34-year old should do very well and maybe even lead his new squad as captain but his playing time is probably reaching its point where retirement could be next.
Undrafted 3rd year right wing Cason Hohmann(10) originally looked to be staying in the U.S. to play his third season in the ECHL with Norfolk Admirals but a couple of months later as the new campaign approaches, he agrees to a one-year contract with HC Banska Bystrica of Slovak Extraliga.
The 5’9″ 175 lbs. forward skated with no less than four teams in 2016/2017 but has been under AHL contracts despite only playing 3 games as a rookie for Rochester Americans and a pair of appearances last season with Charlotte Checkers, where he got his first assist.
He was twice a 30-point player in his sophomore and senior years at Boston University.
The 24-year old should excel nicely in Slovakia’s top league, one of Europe’s best and may even like it enough to continue to see what options follow overseas.
8th year defenseman Yann Sauve(4) headed off to Germany joining EHC Red Bull Munchen after a short pit stop late in the season back with Manchester Monarchs of the ECHL.
He only appeared in a single game before the playoffs begin.
The big blue liner ended up helping the team to the 2017 DEL Championship, appearing in 12 match-ups with an assist and a +6 rating.
For 2017/2018, he has agreed to a one-year deal with Nottingham Panthers of the EIHL.
Although he’s never been a huge point producer, it’s very possible that he shows a significant scoring uptick in England.
9th year left wing Jack Combs(88) had a very successful first run overseas with Fischtown Pinguins scoring a DEL high 27 goals and 25 assists for 52 points but joins some former opponents of Iserlohn Roosters for 2017/2018.
It will be his 19th team since turning pro 2009/2010.
He left after a successful campaign for Greenville Swamp Rabbits in 2015/2016, where he scored a remarkable 52 points in 40 ECHL games.
The 5’11” 200 lbs. forward was under contract with Hartford Wolf Pack but spent 18 AHL games with the team scoring 2 goals, 2 assists and an accountable +7 rating.
At 29-years old he may have found a nice place to play out his time in pro hockey.
